Mallary Jean Tenore

As managing editor of The Poynter Institute’s website, Poynter.org, I report on the media news industry, edit the site’s How To section, and moderate the site's live chats. I also help handle the site's social media efforts, and teach social media sessions on the side.
I like to unpack media trends, and I’m especially interested in how technology is changing the way we tell stories. Other topics I like to cover include: social media, new tools for longform journalism, diversity in the media, women in technology, corrections, commenting on news sites, and writing tips and techniques.
I came to Poynter in June 2007 for the institute’s summer fellowship for young journalists and then stayed on for a year-long fellowship before being hired full-time in November 2008. I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News, The Tampa Bay Times, The Boston Globe and several other newspapers in Massachusetts.
I’m currently working on a memoir, which is coming along slowly but surely.

NPR will be offering buyouts as part of an effort to reduce staff by 10 percent,NPR’s Mark Memmott reports. The move is “strategy to eliminate the deficit and lower ongoing expenses,” a memo to staffers says.

NPR said it is projecting an operating deficit of $6.1 million during its upcoming fiscal year, based on revenues of $178.1 million. It said that it was seeking to reduce its staffing levels by about 10 percent through voluntary buyouts. With roughly 840 employees, that would mean a reduction of 80 to 84 people. It laid off 64 employees, or about 8 percent of its staff, in late 2008 and cut two programs in order to save money.

“Among adult social media users ages 18 and older, 30% say that at least one of their accounts is currently set up to include their location in their posts, up from 14% who said they had ever done this in 2011,” the study found.

Additionally, about three-quarters of adult smartphone owners use their phones for directions or other location-based information.

The number of people using “check in” location services, meanwhile, is dropping. About 12 percent use these services now, compared to 18 percent in 2012. “Among these geosocial service users, 39% say they check into places on Facebook, 18% say they use Foursquare, and 14% say they use Google Plus, among other services,” the study found. Read more

Editor Nancy Conway and Editorial Page Editor Vern Anderson are retiring at the end of the month, and publisher William Dean Singleton is stepping down. Tribune Managing Editor Terry Orme will become editor and publisher of the Digital First Media paper.

The Salt Lake Tribune explained in an unbylined piece:

The retirements are part of a major restructure of The Tribune news operation, which will include laying off 17 full-time and two part-time employees. All told, The Tribune staff will be reduced by almost 20 percent. The cuts help position the organization to adapt and respond to changes that affect the entire newspaper industry.

The Huffington Post published a story Friday saying Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and her husband Zachary Bogue bought the most expensive home in San Francisco history — a $35 million mansion on Billionaire’s Row.

The story’s lead read: “Help launch one of the biggest companies in the world: Check. Hire The Killers to play at your wedding: Check. Install a baby nursery in your office: Check. Buy the most expensive house in the most expensive real estate market in the country: Why not?” (Screenshot by Mallary Tenore)

The only problem is, Mayer and Bogue didn’t purchase the house. Mayer said as much in a tweet Sunday:

The documentary, which started production last year, follows four Afghans who talk about how photojournalism in Afghanistan has changed throughout the years, and where it’s headed. The Frame by Frame Kickstarter page explains:

In 1996, the Taliban banned photography in Afghanistan. Taking a photo was considered a crime. When the regime was removed from Kabul in 2001, their suppression of free speech and press disappeared. Since then, photography has become an outlet for Afghans determined to show the hidden stories of their country.

The money will enable creators Mo Scarpelli and Alexandria Bombach to return to Kabul this fall and finish producing the documentary. Read more

As President Barack Obama looks to make a decision about a military strike against Syria, news organizations are trying to help people make sense of the conflict. They’ve been publishing explainers, live chats with experts, and videos that show the tragedy surrounding the conflict.

Here’s some recent coverage that does a good job explaining what’s happening.

Thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C., today to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on Wednesday. News organizations have been covering the anniversary for weeks — by featuring stories about people who were at the march, creating social media experiments and resurfacing old photos.

Here’s a look at some standout coverage. If you worked on something you think we should consider adding, please link to it in the comments section of this piece, or tweet it to @Poynter with the hashtag #marchcoverage.